8 Facts About America’s Craziest Commuters

Census data released Tuesday spotlights a group called “mega commuters,” people who travel 50 or more miles and spend 90 or more minutes getting to work. As city centers get more expensive to live in, it’s reasonable to assume that people with less money will have longer commutes. But for people with really long commutes, the data tell a different story. Here’s what today’s mega commuter is most likely to look like:

3. And married.

4. He has a stay-at-home spouse.

Mega commuters are significantly more likely than normal commuters to have spouses who stay home or work part time. Almost 25% of mega commuters have spouses who don’t work full-time, compared with about 15% of non-megas.

5. He makes a middle income.

Mega commuters are more likely to make between $40,000 and $79,999 than either more or less than that — ordinary commuters are more likely to make less than $40,000. The US median household income from 2007-2011 was $52,762.

8. Basically, he’s this guy.

The Census Bureau says that the number of very long commutes is increasing — it’s possible that to get reasonably-paying jobs that can support a stay-at-home spouse and decent home, workers now have to travel farther than ever. It’s also possible that it’s very difficult to handle a 90 minute commute unless you have a stay-at-home or part-time working partner. Whatever the case, a look at America’s longest commuters also reveals a sector of American society that looks a lot like a certain version of the past — except for the part where Dad spends three hours of his day on the road and probably can’t be home for dinner.